The smell of fresh air is becoming something of a distant memory, thanks to our increasing use of fragrance  . From air fresheners to scented   candles, we live in a world of scent. Recent figures show seven in ten people use air fresheners or scented candles to keep our homes smelling sweet. Yet recent records suggest that perfumed products could affect our health, causing problems including allergies  , headaches and asthma   . One leading expert believes nearly a third of people suffer health effects from being exposed to scents. A major problem is so-called "contact" allergy--where perfumes and scented products cause eczema   when they come into contact with the skin. About one in 20 is thought to be affected by fragrance allergy. "Often it may not be immediately obvious that you have developed a fragrance allergy," says Dr. Baron. "You don't react immediately. Gradually, as you are exposed more and more, the body increases its reaction, until it becomes noticeable to you." People with pre-existing eczema are particularly vulnerable  . "The eczema worsens in areas in contact with perfumes," says Dr. Baron. "But even those without allergies can be at risk of fragrance allergy." You can become suddenly allergic to perfumes and personal care products that you have been using for years. "Even if you know which fragrance causes a problem, it can be difficult to avoid, as most personal care products -soap, shampoo, sun cream and washing powder--contain fragrances," says Dr. Baron. And strong scents can also cause headaches. Fragrances activate the nose's nerve cells, stimulating the nerve system associated with head pain. To minimize risk, sufferers are advised to minimize the contact. "Fragrance suggest cleanliness - yet people are smelling a potentially dangerous chemical mixture," says Anne Steinemann, professor of the University of Washington. "We often use them to mask one problem - as with air fresheners - but create a greater one - adding poisonous chemicals to the air." What is the text mainly about? A) The world trend of using fragrance. B) The benefits of using non-fragranced products. C) The health problems caused by fragrance D) The ways of removing allergy.
C


Short people, studies have shown , are more likely to have a stroke , suffer from high blood pressures and heart disease and be bullied in school . Now, researchers report that short people--at least in the past--were also more likely to die at a younger age than their taller peers. Their study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology   and Community Health , found that short bones have something to do with short life for more than 1,000 years. The conclusion was based on 490 sets of adult skeletal  remains from an archaeological  site in northeastern England , YC dating from the 9th century to about 1850 . About 55% of men and 73% of women died before the age of 45, and 39% of men and 56% of women died before age 30. The risk of death before age 30 declined as bone length increased. "This study provides evidence from an archaeological sample that long bone length is connected with age at death--those with smaller bones tend to die younger," according to Dr. D.J. Gunnell of the university of Bristol  in the UK and colleagues . While it is not clear why short stature  might be linked to earlier death , the researchers point out that height is _ of childhood nutrition, which may have long-lasting effect on health . "Mechanism   for height-mortality  associations in the past may differ from those today , for example , short stature may have increased the risk of death in childbirth and this may explain the higher risk of premature  mortality in women," Gunnell and colleagues write . "However, short bones, it would appear, have always been a marker of a short life," the authors conclude. Which of the following statements is Not true according to the passage? A) People with smaller bones were more likely to die younger. B) Women were more likely to die at a young age. C) Short-stature women bear higher risk of death in giving birth to babies. D) Most people were more likely to die at the age of 30 in the past.
D


Q: Jiang Nan, a full-time mother in Beijing, keeps a dozen or so cloth bags at home, carefully selecting one or two before heading out to get groceries. "Most of them were giveaways from advertising marketing campaigns, but others had been handed out in the street by various environmental protection organizations," she explained. Since June 2008 China has forbidden the production, sale and usage of plastic bags thinner than 0.025 millimeter  , and retailers   are not allowed to provide free plastic bags to their customers, no matter how thick they are. Many Chinese consumers like Jiang have learned to refuse plastic bags whenever possible in their shopping. "A plastic bag may only cost a few jiao, but it's more about how bad they are for the environment," Jiang said. The plastic ban is for the most part well carried out in big cities, and has been obviously effective in reducing white waste. On the first anniversary of the plastic ban Global Village of Beijing, an NGO environmental organization, shows that during the year of the ban the consumption of plastic bags fell by about 40 billion pieces in chain supermarkets alone, saving more than 1.2 million tons of petrol. However, enforcement   shows rather less muscle in smaller cities, towns and countryside. In a remote town like Lichuan, the awareness of environmental protection is not as strong as that in big cities. Street vendors   worry that they are likely to lose customers if they charge them for plastic bags. Seeing no significance in the issue, local government often turn a blind eye to banned bag trade in the market. There are still those who don't have an interest in living green. Cui Lin, another Beijinger, often forgets to bring a cloth bag when shopping, and has to buy plastic bags. "Anyway I think plastic bags are neater and cleaner, and I don't mind paying a couple more jiao," he shrugged. Mrs Yu, a vegetable vendor in Lichuan County, Jiangxi Province, recalled that before plastic bags became popular in the early 1990s, Chinese people always... Which is NOT the reason why some people still use plastic bags when shopping? A) Cloth bags are difficult to get and heavy to carry. B) People's awareness of environmental protection is not strong enough. C) People don't mind paying a couple more jiao for plastic bags. D) Street vendors worry that they are likely to lose customers if they charge them.

A: A